The Oyo State Police Command has apprehended one Monday Chukwuka who allegedly sold his one-day-old grandchild for N700,000 (seven hundred thousand naira).
The Police said the suspect was arrested at his hideout in Ibafo area of Ogun State, following a credible intelligence report.
Speaking while parading the suspect at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Adewale Osifeso said: “On 10th July 2023, an actionable intelligence report was received by a team of Police operatives attached to the Command Monitoring, Oyo State about the ‘harvesting of a day-old baby girl’ from her teenage mother identified as Sarah Chukwuka in Oyo town and sale of the girl-child to a criminal cartel that operates a baby factory in Abia State.”
Osifeso stated that upon the intelligence-led interview, Monday, who is the biological father of the teenage girl who gave birth to the day-old baby girl, confessed to the crime.
He explained in detail how the suspect took the baby from her mother (his biological daughter) as soon as she was delivered of the child, under the pretext of handing over the baby to someone who would take good care of her.
“The suspect further explained in detail, how he moved the day-old baby to Abia State where he sold her to the owner of a baby factory located at Obehi, Okwa West in Abia State for N700,000.
“Investigation was extended to Abia State and in the process of a coordinated raid on the baby factory, a female suspect identified as Popoola Bunmi and four other accomplices, whose names are Chinwedu Peter, Chidinma Blessing, Chuckwu Christopher, and Favour Chukwu, were all apprehended in connection with the criminal activity,” SP Osifeso said.
The Police spokesman added that a bundle of new birth certificates and some equipment being used for baby deliveries were equally recovered from the factory, adding that the suspects, as of the time of arrest, were unable to give any satisfactory explanation about the parentage of the babies recovered from the factory.
The suspect (Monday) said he decided to sell the baby because he could not afford to take care of his teenage daughter and the baby, saying he used the proceeds he collected after selling the baby to rent a shop and bought goods.
The teenage mother (name withheld), said she was not aware that her father wanted to sell the baby, adding that her dad only told her that he wanted to give the baby to someone to nurture her and return the baby after two years.
The suspected buyer of the baby, (Favor Chukwuka) said she bought the baby following a request from a couple (name withheld) who are childless, saying she was giving N50,000 as her share for the job after handing over the balance of 650,000 naira to Mr Monday.
Other suspects arrested by the Command include armed robbers, secret cult members with dangerous weapons, hoodlums who specialised in stealing cars, and notorious criminal receivers, among others.
